Another way to get cheap oil, ride a bicycle

I decided to limit my driving to a flat cash figure - now at no more than $10 per week spent on gas! Any other trips beyond that budget get canceled, consolidated or put off as the gas gauge dips down to the E-side. I ride my bicycle, run or walk (like when I lived in China).

My physical range started with the 2-mile rule: "Any trip within two miles must be under your own power." My financial budget started with a $40 per week limit on gas spending, then as my range increased I dropped the budget to $20 per week. Now it's at $10 per week. As I get in better shape I bike more, drive less and spend less. All trips to Fish Creek or Baileys Harbor for instance fell within the initial 2-mile range. My radius has now extended to about 12 miles, that includes trips to Ephraim, north of Sister Bay and to Egg Harbor - by bicycle.

Richard Heinberg agrees in saying, "Want Cheap Oil? Reduce Demand!"

"Ask the major oil companies or the US Department of Energy why oil prices are beyond ludicrous and they'll tell you there's plenty of oil out there, there's just a lack of investment in exploration and production - particularly on the part of the national oil companies in OPEC."

Stan Cox at AlterNet says, Get Ready for the Post-SUV World!

"In May, for the first time in 17 years, the top-selling vehicle model in America was not a pickup truck. In fact, Ford's F-150, the perennial leader, was overtaken by three small import-car models. Ford's June truck sales were down 41 percent from a year ago, and its SUV sales are now in free-fall, down 55 percent. Sales of Dodge Ram pickups tumbled 48 percent. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler were hit hard, and all have announced plans to close or suspend production at plants that make trucks and SUVs."

Meanwhile, my 1969 Chevy pickup truck usually sits quietly in the driveway like a good dog, waiting for work... I used to drive when it rained, but thinking back on China, where everyone simply dons a cape and pedals into any weather, I got over it.

Yesterday I got an automated phone call from Freedom's Watch, announcing an "Emergency Gas Alert." The voice claimed that, "Congressman Steve Kagen opposed efforts to increase domestic energy production 20 times." They gave me his phone number 920.437.1954 and encouraged me to call his office to voice my support for HR 3089, billed by its Texas Republican sponsor, Rep. William (Mac) Thornberry as "The No More Excuses Energy Act of 2007." After reading the text of the bill, asking for the rights to drill deeper, wider and farther than ever before, including the repeal of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980, I decided to make that call.

"Go Steve Go! Make it 21 times voting against Big Oil and their efforts to destroy the Alaskan wilderness for a mere 6 month's worth of oil!" I tell the voicemail receptionist.

The Freedom's Watch Gas Alert is probably the first of many such phone calls I will get from John-Gard-endorsing, Swift-boating groups, as the race for the 8th CD gets hotter - since I am a registered Republican. Freedom's Watch alone may spend up to $250 million in the 2008 election. These are the same conservative folks that tried repeatedly to link Sept. 11 to Iraq... "Several of the group's spots suggested that Iraq, rather than Al Qaeda, was behind the Sept. 11 attacks, even though the independent Sept. 11 commission investigation and other inquiries found no evidence of Iraq's involvement," says the New York Times.

So now they claim that Congressman Steve Kagen is the reason for high gas prices...

My friend and local newscaster Roger Utnehmer confirms that there's no reason to expand the drilling rights of Big Oil. I will close with his editorial:

Big Oil Sitting on 68 Million Acres of Leased Land
by Roger Utnehmer
June 25, 2008

As if they don’t have enough PR problems, recent reports that oil companies are sitting on more than 68 million acres of leased land should frustrate anyone fed up with the rising price of gas.

Big oil companies lease land from the federal government for oil exploration. The fact that half of those leased acres are not being used by oil companies refutes the argument of those who suggest more off-shore drilling will reduce oil and gas prices in America.

The Alaska Wildlife Refuge, which President Bush would like to open to exploration, contains l.5 million acres with drilling potential. When oil companies sit on 68 million acres of leased land on which they are not drilling, encouraging big oil to explore and drill where they already lease should be public policy.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain supports more U.S. off-shore drilling.
Democrat Barack Obama wants to levy a fee on the leased acres the oil companies are not using as an incentive to encourage exploration.

A debate about oil policy will be good for the gas-paying public. Reforming unregulated futures speculation needs to be part of the debate. Some suggest that as much as 60% of the price of oil can be attributed to futures speculation by hedge funds, banks and financial groups.

Futures speculators only pay for 6% of the value of the contract, a leverage ratio of 16 to 1. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission should raise the margin requirement well above 6%. Speculation in oil futures is driving prices to unrealistic levels and might be a big part of the reason prices at the pump are so high.

The politics of oil determines the prices we pay at the pump which is why a civil discussion about exploration and futures trading is in order.

That’s my opinion. I’d like to hear yours. I’m Roger Utnehmer.

New windows for Plum Island?

The Plum Island Lighthouse off the northern tip of mainland Door County is currently one of 12 candidates, nominated in the Reliable Lighthouse Restoration Initiative sponsored by the JELD-WEN Windows and Doors Company to receive free windows. So, please take a moment and cast your vote for our lighthouse! And tell your friends to vote, too.

"At JELD-WEN, we're demonstrating the reliability of our windows and doors—even in the most extreme conditions - by helping restore some of the nation's most reliable landmarks with the JELD-WEN^® Reliable Lighthouse Restoration Initiative. The results were dramatic for our first three projects, the Umpqua River Lighthouse in Oregon, the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse in Maryland, and the Wind Point Lighthouse in Wisconsin. Now JELD-WEN is searching for the next reliable lighthouse in need of new windows and doors. "

Check back after September 7, 2008 to see the winner.

http://www.jeld-wen.com/lighthouse/index_vote.cfm

Bringing the Suits to the Boots in Oregon

In a time of sky-rocketing fuel and food costs, the country comes to the rescue. The Oregon Country Trails is an eco-tourism system that offers a “buy local” package of food, recreation and entertainment.

Formed three years ago as an organized model of branded rural tourism attractions, The Oregon Country Trails is Oregon’s first eco-tourism system representing 85 local getaways, overnight stays, open barns, farms and ranches, fishing and swimming holes, fish hatcheries, unique country diners and restaurants, organic produce, grass-fed beef, poultry, pork, lamb, eggs, milk and cream, historical gardens, rural festivals and events, art galleries, wood shops, vegetable stands, fruit farms, fuchsia gardens, quilt shops, mercantiles, handcrafted goat cheeses, wineries, golf courses, tasting rooms, chocolate hazelnut farms, farmer’s markets, yurt stays, bicycling campgrounds, alpacas, sheep petting zoos, wildlife sanctuaries—even arctic wolves!

Divided into four driving routes or “trails,” in Lane, Benton and Lincoln counties, the Oregon Country Trails has packaged the rural experience with brochures, maps, and a usable website giving the urban visitor a place to go in the country and reason to get out of the car. Founder, Danuta Pfeiffer explains, “More importantly, it connects the urban visitor to the source of local healthy food and recreation. And in return, this helps with rural sustainability. It’s good to see rural alliances formed and communities come together where no community existed before.”

There’s power in numbers and festivals and collaborative promotion gives the rural vender exposure they couldn’t otherwise afford.

“In fact,” Pfeiffer notes, “In a time of scarcity of food and fuel, it will be the countryside and its producers that will keep our country running–not the cities. It’s a good idea to form alliances between the suits and the boots now, that will support us in the future.”

Learn more about Oregon Country Trails

Mary Bergin at Madison's Cap Times recently reported, "Earlier this spring, a committee of Wisconsin travel writers -- plus the state's first lady, Jessica Doyle -- asked readers to vote for your favorite small towns (population less than 15,000) in 20 categories at www.wondersofwisconsin.com. We'd wince when hearing rumors that one community or another was out to blitz the system, but that's not how the results appear."

Two of Door County's small towns won top spot recognition.

In the category of Best Dining, Sister Bay tied with Lake Geneva. Voters elected The Inn at Kristofer's (www.innatkristofers.com, 920.854.9419) in Sister Bay as one of that town's best dining choices as well as, Gilbert's Restaurant in Lake Geneva (www.gilbertsrestaurant.com, 262.248.6680).

I think it's a bit odd that Egg Harbor won in the statewide category of favorite small town with the Best galleries and arts scene. With the departure of Robert L. Pence eight years ago, I struggle to think of only a few small art galleries in Egg Harbor. Hopefully, visitors will discover Renee Schwaller's Off the Wheel Pottery on County E. Meanwhile, a quick search reveals that RLP, the guy responsible for artistically transforming the town, eventually left Milwaukee to paint the sea coast of southern California.

Pence, remains committed to living, loving and defending the natural environment as expressed in his enjoyment and pursuit of plein air painting. The folks in Orange County are happy to have captured him...

"It is said that art imitates life and the experience of great art enriches life. We are fortunate to have Robert Leland Pence share the wealth of his talent interpreting the timeless beauty of the beach cities coastline." - Thom Moore

You can find Robert L. Pence and his studio at:
34118 Pacific Coast Highway #3
Dana Point, CA 92629
Tel: 949.248.2514
robert@rlpartist.com

Kudos to Bill McConkey for taking a stand against Wisconsin's constitutional ban on gay marriage. Despite the fact that Dane County Circuit Judge Richard G. Niess ruled that the amendment was properly presented to voters in a November 2006 statewide referendum.

The Milwaukee Journal reported the following...

Dane County Circuit Judge Richard G. Niess said the pairing of two sentences in the amendment - one addressing marriage and the other similar legal relationships, such as civil unions - did not violate a provision in the Wisconsin Constitution that says if more than one amendment is submitted, voters must be able to vote for or against each amendment separately.

The case was brought by Bill McConkey, who lives in Door County and teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

McConkey said he was offended by the amendment because one of his seven daughters is gay and he thinks it unfairly takes protections away from certain people.

McConkey's lawsuit raised several objections to the amendment, but Niess left open only the question of whether the amendment was properly presented to voters.

The lawsuit was filed against Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and defended by the state Department of Justice.

The amendment reads: "Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state."

The two sentences are "two sides of the same coin," Niess said. "They clearly relate to the same subject matter and further the same purpose."

McConkey said he was disappointed by the ruling and thinks two separate subjects were presented to voters.

Julaine Appling, chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Family Council, said the two sentences were necessary - one defines marriage and the second protects the institution - and that voters understood the amendment.

In the November 2006 election, 59% of voters supported the amendment.

After the hearing, McConkey said his instinct was to the appeal the decision, but he and his attorney, Lester Pines, a Madison lawyer representing McConkey for no fee, said they would consult about that possibility.

Suzanne Rosenblatt is a Milwaukee poet, an artist and an activist. On August 11, 2001, a pesticide sign got caught in the spokes of her bicycle. She crash-landed on her foot and broke three bones. The irony of an eco-poet suffering at the hands of a pesticide sign, caught the attention of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writer Jim Stingl who wrote: Enemy trips up green crusader. Suzanne eventually launched Grass Roots, a Web site and group formed to educate people about the dangers of pesticide use.

"Although I knew pesticides weren't safe, I didn't realize they were lethal," says Rosenblatt - until her dog Lilac died young, of cancer in 1992. "One day the vet said Lilac had cancer, the next day Lilac was dead! That's how I discovered, in 1992, that dogs all over the Milwaukee area were dying of cancer, apparently triggered by pesticides. So it follows that pesticides also affect humans..."

"...What happens to babies who crawl, children who play, families that picnic on treated grass? What happens when we track pesticides onto our carpets?"

Suzanne's work has paid off in building greater public awareness, but apparently her effort and the concern expressed by many citizens failed to convince the Village of Shorewood to amend it's policies. She just published the following 4th of July warning:

Those little white signs

If you ask me, the Shorewood fireworks are the best, and I'd planned to go with my children, grandchildren, and a group of friends with their children. But now the pleasure's gone. Five days before the fireworks, I saw pesticide warning signs all over Atwater Park!

The Department of Public Works knows these substances are too dangerous to use on school grounds, yet they sprayed Atwater Park just before the entire community will be celebrating there. We'll all be sitting on, picnicking on, poisoned grass if we go.

Last year when preparing a presentation to the Village Board, I discovered that Shorewood uses 2, 4-D, an extremely toxic herbicide. Google it, and I doubt you'll want to sit in it or track it into your house on shoe soles. It is used in "weed and feed" products, was a component of Agent Orange; is linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, linked to prostate cancer in farmers, is a known endocrine disrupter, causes reduced sperm counts and/or increased abnormalities in sperm. It's found in residential carpet dust up to one year after application outdoors on lawns. There's a lot more, including the research by Warren Porter, at UW-Madison.

Here are the protection specifications for people who apply 2,4-D: they must wear face shield, goggles or safety glasses, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, socks and shoes and chemical-resistant gloves. Perhaps that's what we all should wear to the Shorewood fireworks! Nicole Bickham just sent this letter to all the members of the Shorewood Village Board, and I hope you, too, will let them know how you feel about this issue:

From: "Nicole Bickham" nicole.bickham@sbcglobal.net
To: manager@villageofshorewood.org, PresidentJohnson@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeAnderson@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeEckman@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeHanewall@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeHickey@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeMaher@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteePhinney@villageofshorewood.org
Subject: pesticide use at Atwater park
Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006

Dear Mr. Swartz & Village Trustees,

I understand that pesticides were applied at Atwater Park in the past few days, as evidenced by the many warning signs posted there. This strikes me as incredibly irresponsible, given that in a few short days hundreds if not thousands of residents, including many children, will come to Atwater Park to enjoy the Independence Day festivities. What is worse, most residents will have no idea that they are being exposed, because the application was timed such that the state-mandated warning signs will no longer be required on July 4th.

I believe the trustees have received ample information about the detrimental health and environmental effects of pesticide exposure, particularly the effects on children. They should also be aware that pesticide residues can linger long after warning signs are removed. I observed a board meeting on July 11, 2005, at which this very issue was addressed. Numerous residents expressed their deep concerns about the village's use of pesticides, and about personal experiences with cancer and other illnesses that research suggests may be linked to pesticide exposure. The board also received at that time, a detailed summary of relevant scientific studies.

The board's response just one year ago was heartening; members suggested that in the future, Shorewood might implement pesticide-free turf care on public land village-wide and even share resources (eg, organic fertilizer) with residents to facilitate their use of natural lawn care. Spraying pesticides at Atwater Park days before one of the largest village events strays awfully far from the intentions expressed at that meeting.

As a resident of neighboring Whitefish Bay, and someone involved in educating others about the dangers of pesticide exposure, I can tell you that many people look to Shorewood as the leader of the North Shore when it comes to policies affecting health and the environment. My family has even given serious consideration to moving to Shorewood because of what we have perceived as forward-thinking policies.

I urge you to reconsider the policy that allowed this ill-timed pesticide application to occur. Furthermore, I hope that you will re-post pesticide warning signs so that the residents of Shorewood and visitors from other communities can make a more informed choice about whether to expose themselves and their children to these dangerous chemicals on Independence Day.

Sincerely,
Nicole Bickham
5235 N. Hollywood Ave, Whitefish Bay

HCP: A Grass Roots Movement

Healthy Communities Project started very simply, with a young mother's letter to the local paper expressing concern about the widespread use of pesticides in the community and their potential effects on children and the environment, namely Lake Michigan. This letter was supported by a second, written by a larger group of residents, citing specific health effects linked to pesticide exposure. These letters got people talking and doing research about these chemicals in our environment.

Since 2001, it has been the standard for Healthy Communities Project to base our opinions and the information we disseminate on solid science - to refer to data from objective sources, and to seek out the opinions of health professionals, toxicologists, horticulturists, and other experts in relevant fields. It is our goal to educate homeowners, municipalities, and other turf managers about the impact pesticides and polluted runoff have on the health of humans, animals, and the environment, and to empower them to make positive changes. We believe that we, as residents caring for our own small plots of the earth, have the power to protect human health, to improve our watershed, and to inspire our neighbors to do the same.

I just fell upon the OshKosh News, a grassroots effort that features community news from the Oshblog, among other sections. The "Why this site" page deserves close examination and opens with, "There has got to be a better way. Here at OCNN we believe that the traditional media are not doing an adequate job in covering and delivering the news and that alternative approaches are needed to promote an informed and active citizenry."